The Nigerian government has located Nadeem Anjarwalla, a Binance executive on the run, in Kenya following his escape from custody in Nigeria.
Anjarwalla, 38, managed to flee from an Abuja guest home where he was detained with a colleague, taking advantage of a prayer break at a nearby mosque during Ramadan, as widely reported on March 25 by the media.
According to reports, Anjarwalla, who holds Kenyan citizenship, might have left Abuja using a Middle East airliner.
Following his disappearance, Nigeria engaged Interpol, issuing an arrest warrant to facilitate his capture.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), along with the International Criminal Police, Nigerian Police Force, and Kenyan Police Service, are currently discussing Anjarwalla’s extradition, according to The PUNCH.
A presidency source confirmed the executive’s location: “We have found him. We know where he is. He is in Kenya, and we’re working with the authorities to bring him back to Nigeria,” while another corroborated, emphasizing the collective efforts to ensure Anjarwalla faces charges in Nigeria.
EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, highlighted in the March edition of “EFCC Alert” that their focus includes addressing the distortions in Nigeria’s forex market, where Anjarwalla is implicated in allegations including tax evasion, currency speculation, and laundering approximately $35.4 million.
While Anjarwalla’s colleague, Tigran Gambaryan, is already detained by the commission, efforts to extradite Anjarwalla are “revving in full swing,” with international cooperation from the US FBI, and the governments of the UK, Northern Ireland, and Kenya.
However, there remains skepticism within some Nigerian government quarters about Kenya’s willingness to agree to the extradition, especially after the controversial handling of Nnamdi Kanu’s rendition in 2021.
